Slipstream - October 2006

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Photo by Charlie Davis Time Trial #6 and Autocross #6 by Bob Kuykendall Ican't believe this is the final weekend for Time Trials and Autocrosses in 2006. It seems like only yesterday (March to be exact) that everyone was strapping on those brand new Toyo's and Kumho’s in hopes of turning faster laps than last year and showing their fellow drivers just how Mario-like they could be. Actually, there is one more driving event scheduled for October (the Charity autocross at Pennington) that is purely for fun and won't count for Driver standings. The October autocross will also have a Top Driver runoff for the top ten Men's and Lady's drivers based on final standings from this weekend. So, the gauntlet has been thrown. GENTLEMEN (AND GENTLEWOMEN) START YOUR ENGINES ! So here I am getting up at 5:30 to head out to Mineral Wells for the last time. Only contractors and bass fishermen are up this early on a Saturday morning. Along the way, I make the turn at Weatherford and duck into the pits at a local Citgo for a splash of fuel for both body and car. Think I'll indulge in a good ol' Texas breakfast, consisting of a Dr Pepper and a Mrs. Baird's cherry-fried pie. Umm…..good. Pulling into the Paddock area at the MineralRing, I see all the usual suspects- Charlie and the Truxster (is that a rock band?), Bryan Bell and Darron Shaffer setting up the course, Wendy and Andrea taking names and money for the event registration, James unloading the race car (which has all 5 gears again), Rick Randall doing tech inspections, etc. So nice to have these folks doing all the hard work. They're real pros ! Some interesting non-Porsche cars occasionally find their way here. An old Datsun 2000 roadster makes its way to the grid for some hot laps. A few Corvettes, Subarus, and Mustangs also join the fray. In the paddock area, I notice some odd-looking extra valve stems on Dean Yamada's Corvette. He tells me these are pressure-release valves that automatically release excess pressure as the tires heat up. Pretty cool, which means that you can start off at the optimum psi on the very first run and not worry about coming off the track too hot or greasy. If they just made such a device to replace the driver, I'd be in great shape. Despite the friendly camaraderie, a little early morning trash talking begins. Jeff Atkins and Wendy Shoffit are neck and neck in class 5. Rick Randall, Chuck Machala, and Mark Steele are vying for top honors in the highly competitive Class 6. This ain't just for bragging rights, folkstrophies are on the line here! But it's all in good fun. Driver's meeting begins promptly at 9:00. Bryan reminds us for the umpteenth time that if we hit the perimeter fence, we get to roll it up and take it home, as you have just bought it. But that never happens. I worry more about people in the Port-a-Johns as cars leave the course. Shouldn't those be a 2-second penalty? The final Time Trial will utilize Course # 3, to be run counter 14 Robyn Howard taking the corner at speed. Photo by Charlie Davis clockwise with a medium-speed chicane in the back left corner. James Shoffit decided to try the chicane in full sideways mode, but does not recommend it (unless you are a trained professional). Despite a few spins and an occasional DNF, it's just amazing how well organized and safe these events are. This isn't just my opinion, as I hear this constantly from drivers who attend other Club's events. Mike Lockas, Joel Nannis, and others are always keeping a careful eye on safety. When it's my turn to work the course, I'm assigned to Start/Finish line. Not hard duty until someone impedes another driver, then keeping up with which car is on what lap becomes a bit challenging. But, the final checker flag for the morning session gets waved right before noon. Wendy Shoffit getting the green light. Time for lunch. On Saturday, most Mavericks head out to the local Braum’s for a #1 double-burger combo with fresh-squeezed limeade. Oh, so good. Or, is it just the air conditioning which makes it all taste so great? On Sunday, most folks stop by the Chicken Express for hot (and I do mean right out of the fryer hot) fried chicken, fresh-brewed ice tea, and a fried pie. Hey, we're working hard out there and chasing cones! So, the diets will have to wait. The afternoon goes by quickly with only one run-set per car. So, Time Trial #6 was history by 3:00. Time to set up the course for tomorrow's autocross! Sunday brings many more P-cars to the track. Autocross #6 is the last chance to score points, so the trash talk worsens. Threats of lowering tire pressures turns out to be just that. Again, this is for fun! A whole army of 914's show up early. Those lightweight cars were made for this stuff. Very flingable, lively, and well-balanced in the tight twisties. Camaraderie abounds - Chuck McCoy (Car #44) entertains Lisa Steele and Chuck Machala Photo by Charlie Davis
Photo by Charlie Davis Track walks expose a layout shaped like a four-leaf clover. What was Bryan thinking (or drinking) last night? But looks like fun. A little tight in places, so we will definitely be shagging cones today! As I work corner 3 with Jim Hedderick, I discover that he and his son, David, are from Houston and they run autocrosses with not only PCA, but also SCCA, BMW Club, and others. They enter their silver Boxster in ~35 events a year! They also burn thru some 5-7 sets of tires per year. Now that's some way-too-serious activity, but they obviously love it and are great at it, as both are headed to SCCA Nationals this year. I witness how freely and gladly everyone helps their fellow drivers with needed assistance, tools, and advice. Air gauges, jack pads, tire Top Porsche Autocrosser, David Hedderick Time Trial #6 - Saturday, 9/9/2006 - MineralRing, Mineral Wells, TX Class Number Name Car Time Place Points 2 95 Travis Howard Yellow 914 88.903 1 9 3 44 Chuck McCoy White 944 84.45 1 9 65 Robyn Howard Red 944 90.561 2 7 4 31 Mike Lockas White 944 82.305 1 9 111 Kevin Hardison Blue 914 82.616 2 7 15 Gary Leto Red 914 (G) 92.833 3 5 5 64 James Shoffit Black 911 SC 78.147 1 9 83 Jeff Atkins Red 911 80.745 2 7 11 Wendy Shoffit Black 911 SC 80.988 3 5 169 Christy Dominick Blue 964 83.667 4 4 72 Tracy Locke Silver 944 Turbo 84.017 5 3 57 Joel Nannis Yellow 911S 85.313 6 2 691 Denny Payne Blue 964 85.611 7 1 6 205 Mark Steele Red 944S2 77.791 1 9 139 David Hedderick Silver Boxster 78.067 2 7 911 Bob Kuykendall Black 911 78.713 3 5 1 Chuck Machala Silver Boxster 78.755 4 4 161 Rick Randall Black 911 Carerra 79.189 5 3 39 Jim Hedderick Silver Boxster 80.033 6 2 234 Ed Gross Carmon Red Boxster 82.842 7 1 242 Darron Shaffer Green Boxster S 85.029 8 1 206 Lisa Steele Red 944S2 85.295 9 1 7 204 Bryan Bell Silver 996 76.470 1 9 10 550 Richard Diller Red 911S 77.178 1 9 L 284 Tracey Gross Carmon Red Boxster 85.737 1 9 20 Andrea Bell Red Boxster 93.351 2 7 OA 801 Reb Burroughs Red Corvette 81.098 1 98 Jon Hansen Silver Mustang 82.821 2 OJ 74 Gabby Garner White WRX STI 77.687 1 123 John O'Keefe Silver NSX 80.084 2 186 Mitch Williams Red Miata 82.223 3 23 Grant Gosler Silver NSX 85.933 4 85 Mike Steinbach Yellow 2000 87.506 5 58 Patrick Steinbach Yellow 2000 87.863 6 Top Time Of Day Men : Bryan Bell, Class 7, Time 76.470 Top Time Of Day Ladies : Wendy Shoffit, Class 5, Time 80.988 Bryan Bell 76.470 Richard Diller 77.178 Mark Steele 77.791 David Hedderick 78.067 James Shoffit 78.147 Top 10 Porsche Times Bob Kuykendall 78.713 Chuck Machala 78.755 Rick Randall 79.189 Jim Hedderick 80.033 Jeff Atkins 80.745 assistance, etc. are openly and unselfishly shared among all. What a great bunch of folks and spirit of cooperation. Autocross times are very fast thru the Cloverleaf. David Hedderick takes down the fastest Porsche of the day (75.3) in his non-S Boxster. But Michael Vasey takes TTOD in his silver STI at 73.4. Wow, these guys are quick. But accolades for those drivers who drive consistently well in their lesser horsepower cars: Kevin Hardison in his 914, Mike Lockas and Chuck McCoy in their 944s, and many others. Also, those rapidly improving new drivers, such as newlyweds Christy Dominick & Denny Payne. Alas, I'm going to miss these events during the off-season. The “silly season” always brings out new drivers, cars, and suspension setups before next year's driving events and driver schools. The best part is wondering what to do next- those new adjustable sway bars? R-compound tires? A race seat perhaps? And even though some of the faces may change by next season, you can nonetheless expect to see more smiles, help, and genuine pros running these events. Remember, one last Charity Autocross at Pennington in October! See ya there. Autocross #6 - Sunday, 9/10/2006 - MineralRing, Mineral Wells, TX Class Number Name Car Time Place Points 2 95 Travis Howard Yellow 914 84.967 1 9 914 Betty Perrine Orange 914 85.911 2 7 41 Michael Brown Blue 914 88.468 3 5 3 37 Charlie Davis Green 914 82.406 1 9 44 Chuck McCoy White 944 83.535 2 7 137 Kevan Davis Green 914 85.171 3 5 12 John Reynolds Maroon 914 88.960 4 4 65 Robyn Howard Red 944 90.738 5 3 4 111 Kevin Hardison Blue 914 79.476 1 9 31 Mike Lockas White 944 80.031 2 7 81 Jeff Herrmann Black 912 85.156 3 5 15 Gary Leto Red 914 92.469 4 4 5 64 James Shoffit Black 911 SC 77.955 1 9 11 Wendy Shoffit Black 911 SC 80.316 2 7 83 Jeff Atkins Red 911 80.528 3 5 57 Joel Nannis Yellow 911S 84.284 4 4 169 Christy Dominick Blue 964 85.773 5 3 691 Denny Payne Blue 964 86.384 6 2 24 Clay Perrine Red 914 87.893 7 1 747 Jason Rogers Slate Grey 993 91.175 8 1 6 139 David Hedderick Silver Boxster 75.303 1 9 39 Jim Hedderick Silver Boxster 77.379 2 7 1 Chuck Machala Silver Boxster 78.729 3 5 161 Rick Randall Black 911 Carerra 79.363 4 4 911 Bob Kuykendall Black 911 79.484 5 3 66 Mark Steele Red Boxster S 80.397 6 2 234 Ed Gross Carmon Red Boxster82.330 7 1 242 Darron Shaffer W-Green Boxster S 84.010 8 1 99 Lisa Steele Red Boxster S 86.177 9 1 7 204 Bryan Bell Silver 996 78.105 1 9 63 Gregory Vint Silver 996 C4S 88.606 2 7 10 550 Richard Diller Red 911S 84.980 1 9 L 284 Tracey Gross Carmon Red Boxster82.784 1 9 77 Tannia Dobbins Red Boxster S 85.545 2 7 20 Andrea Bell Red Boxster 101.775 10 5 OA 8 Dean Yamada White Corvette 77.506 1 98 Jon Hansen Silver Mustang 84.885 2 OG 25 Ben Holliday Silver/Blue Cooper S 84.993 1 987 Paul Gautreaux Purple Cooper S 94.585 2 OJ 93 Michael Vasey Silver STI 73.419 1 85 Mike Steinbach Yellow 2000 79.775 2 58 Patrick Steinbach Yellow 2000 84.529 3 6 Rick Gonzales Black Miata 86.072 4 Top Time Of Day Men : Michael Vasey, Class OJ, Time 73.419 Top Time Of Day Ladies : Wendy Shoffit, Class 5, Time 80.316 David Hedderick 75.303 Jim Hedderick 77.379 James Shoffit 77.955 Bryan Bell 78.105 Chuck Machala 78.729 Top 10 Porsche Times Rick Randall 79.363 Kevin Hardison 79.476 Bob Kuykendall 79.484 Mike Lockas 80.031 Wendy Shoffit 80.316 15
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Page 8 and 9: What inspired the design of our new
Page 10 and 11: Maverick Minutes by Jan MayoThe des
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Page 14 and 15: Trivia Contest October It’s Easy
Page 18 and 19: Splat! by Wendy Shoffit and Jan May
Page 20 and 21: German Engineering With Southern Ho
Page 22 and 23: ISTOOK’S Motorsport Services PORS
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Page 26 and 27: Happy Hour at Mac’s Steaks & Seaf
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Slipstream - October 2006

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